[Vision2020] Weekend auroras and early Leonids

[Dick Schmidt]

 Space Weather News for Nov. 5, 2004
 http://spaceweather.com
 
 AURORA WATCH: A series of explosions from sunspot 696 on Nov. 3rd through
 5th hurled some coronal mass ejections toward Earth, and they're due to
 arrive this weekend.  Sky watchers in, e.g., Canada, Alaska, and
 northern-tier US states should be alert for auroras.
 
 EARLY LEONIDS? The annual Leonid meteor shower normally peaks around the
 19th of November.  This year, however, there might be an extra, early peak
 on Nov. 8th when Earth passes close to a 1000-year-old stream of dust from
 Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The precise location of this old stream is uncertain.
 Forecasters estimate, tentatively, a meteor rate of 50 to 100 per
 hour--much less than the great Leonid displays of recent years, but still
 pleasing.  Sky watchers in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia are
 best-positioned to see the Nov. 8th display--if it happens!
 
 Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.